The present invention generally relates to weightlifting equipment. More specifically, the present invention relates to a weight bar for use in weightlifting wherein the weight bar is shaped to improve grip and muscle activation.
Weight training has been around for decades and if often used recreationally for fitness or appearance reasons or to improve physical performance as part of a strength or athleticism training program for sports, such as college or professional sports, for example. Typically, weightlifting or athletic training involves moving weights positioned on bars through specified ranges of motion, for example, the biceps curl or the bench press. The ranges of motion are typically associated with a physical task or muscle that the lifter wants to train, improve, or gain strength in.
The typical bar employed in most weightlifting exercises is the straight bar. The straight bar includes a grip portion for the user that is typically cylindrically shaped and is approximately one inch in diameter. Other weight bars that are sometimes employed include the EZ Curl bar, the thick-handled bar, and the triceps bar.
The EZ Curl Bar is a variant of the straight bar wherein the one-inch cylinder of the straight bar is bent at an angle away from the main axis of the bar in order to allow the lifter to grasp the bar at an angle offset from the main axis of the bar. However, even though the bar is bent, the diameter of the grip portion remains the standard one inch. Additionally, when the EZ Curl Bar is grasped, due to the angle of the bends in the bar, the weight of the bar typically is displaced below the user's palms.
The thick-handled bar is a bar with a uniform cylindrical diameter, but the diameter is greater than the one inch diameter of the standard bar. With the thick handled bar, the center of the weight of the bar remains in the user's palm, but the bar may be difficult to grasp because of its large diameter.
The triceps bar is similar to the EZ Curl bar, but typically includes a central aperture in which two one-inch diameter bars are positioned perpendicular to the main axis of the bar. As with the EZ Curl bar, the grip area of the triceps bar is typically a uniform one inch in diameter.